Rule 111-8-40-.22 - Pharmaceutical ServicesThe hospital shall provide or have access to effective pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of its patients in accordance with generally accepted standards of practice and applicable laws and regulations.
(a)Pharmacy Director. All pharmaceutical services in the hospital shall be under the direction of a pharmacist licensed in Georgia. The responsibilities of the director of pharmaceutical services shall include: 1. Developing, supervising, and coordinating all activities of the pharmaceutical service to be in compliance with state rules and regulations for hospital pharmacies including the evaluation of the effectiveness of the services in coordination with the hospital's quality management program; and2. Developing and implementing an effective system that does the following: (i) Minimizes drug errors and identifies potential drug interactions and adverse drug reactions;(ii) Controls the availability and storage of drugs throughout the hospital;(iii) Distributes and administers the drugs in compliance with generally accepted standards of practice;(iv) Tracks the receipt and disposition of all scheduled drugs;(v) Staffs pharmaceutical services to provide sufficient qualified personnel to respond to the pharmaceutical needs of the patient population being served, including twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week emergency coverage;(vi) Labels and dispenses drugs, including a requirement that only licensed pharmacists or properly supervised licensed pharmacy interns are permitted to compound, label, and dispense drugs or biologicals;(vii) Manages drug recalls;(viii) Addresses the removal of drugs when a pharmacist is not available;(ix) Compiles and reports data related to drug ordering; dispensing and administration errors, and possible adverse drug reaction to the hospital's quality management program; and(x) Reviews all activities and functions of the hospital's pharmaceutical services.(b)Management of Drugs. The pharmacist shall be responsible for the management of drugs within the hospital.1. The hospital's pharmaceutical services shall access, compile, and make available to medical and professional staff information relating to drug or food interactions, drug therapy, side effects, toxicology, dosage indicators, and routes of administration.2. Loss and theft of controlled substances shall be reported to the pharmacy director, to the hospital administration, and to others as required by applicable laws and regulations.3. All drugs and pharmaceuticals shall be stored in an area or on a cart which shall be locked when unattended to prevent access by unauthorized individuals.4. Outdated, mislabeled, or otherwise unusable drugs and pharmaceuticals shall not be available for patient use.5. Certain drugs and pharmaceuticals not specifically prescribed as to limitation of time or number of doses shall be automatically discontinued after a specified time pursuant to guidelines developed by the medical staff in conjunction with the pharmacy director.6. Drug administration errors, adverse drug reactions, and drug incompatibilities shall be immediately reported in a timely manner to the attending physician and the pharmacist.7. Drugs brought into the hospital by a patient may be administered to the patient only if the medications can be accurately identified, properly stored and secured, and ordered by the attending physician for the patient's hospitalization. If the drugs cannot be administered to the patient, the drugs shall be returned to an adult member of the patient's immediate family or returned to the patient upon discharge unless otherwise prohibited by law.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-8-40-.22
O.C.G.A. §§ 16-4-77, 16-13-20et seq. and 31-7-2.1.
Original Rule entitled "Pharmaceutical Services" adopted. F. Feb. 20, 2013; eff. Mar. 12, 2013.